Edelweiss
by A. Zap
Summary: When Ruby can't find Weiss, she stumbles upon a sight that leaves her breathless. White Rose Day 3: Breathless


Ruby sighed.

Tomorrow they were going to do this. They were going to steal an airship and get to Atlas, all right under Cordovin's nose.

Hopefully.

To be fair, it wasn't the worst plan they'd ever come up with, even with all the different moving parts. Going into Haven thinking there might be a fight but not knowing for certain and making no plans just in case there was had been much worse.

But that was for tomorrow. Tonight, they'd just relax before they were thrust into battle once more.

Ruby looked around the living room and sighed, this time smiling at her friends milling about. Yang and Blake sat near each other, and though they seemed to be doing better than they had when they left Mistral, there was still a clear space between them. Ruby frowned slightly at them before moving on.

Oscar and Jaune were going over the final points of the plan, and Ruby was glad to see them getting along now. Nora and Rin sat next to them, except Rin was already half-way asleep and Nora was being surprisingly accommodating as she let him lean on her and didn't move, a gargantuan feat for the normally bubbly girl.

Maria had already retreated to go to bed, and Ruby didn't know where Qrow was in the house, but she at least knew he hadn't gone on another bar crawl and that was enough for now.

And then Ruby realized someone was missing.

A flutter of panic rose in Ruby's chest as she realized that Weiss wasn't in the room. A quick check showed her that she wasn't in the garden or the kitchen. The flutter turns into a throb.

Weiss wasn't anywhere on the first floor.

Ruby bit her lip and glanced up the stairs. Saphron and Terra had been planning on putting Adrian to bed and then going to sleep themselves, but maybe they'd have a clue where Weiss could be since she wasn't down here.

She hesitated and then quietly crept up the stairs, not wanting to disturb Adrian if he was already asleep, and walked over to where she had thought they said their bedroom was. She halted though as she heard a soft sound coming from the room across from the tired mothers'.

Adrian's room.

"_Edelweiss, Edelweiss._

_Every morning you greet me."_

Singing.

Something in Ruby relaxed at the sound, but it wasn't due to the low and soothing melody.

She recognized this voice like she recognized her own heartbeat.

Ruby opened the door to a sight that took her breath away.

Weiss slowly rocked Adrian back and forth, a small smile on her lips as she sang.

"_Small and white, clean and bright,_

_You look happy to meet me._

"_Blossom of snow, may you bloom and grow._

_Bloom and grow forever._

_Edelweiss, Edelweiss._

_Bless my homeland forever."_

As the final note faded away, Weiss gently placed the sleeping Adrian in his crib. And as she looked up, she started a bit, as if just realizing Ruby was there. Weiss held up a finger to her lips and jerked her head towards the door behind Ruby, and the two tiptoed their way out of the room, shutting the door on the slumbering toddler behind them.

As if sensing that Ruby wanted to talk to her, Weiss led the way into the garden and took a seat on the porch back there. "Did you need something?" She asked as they settled next to each other.

"Oh, I was just wondering where you were." Ruby felt almost silly over how worked up she'd gotten over it. "So you put Adrian to bed instead of Saphron and Terra?"

"They were really tired, and I told them I didn't mind it." Weiss sat back and huffed a bit. Ruby smirked a bit. Weiss certainly didn't mind Adrian. The last time Ruby had seen Weiss so charmed had been when Zwei had lived with all of them at Beacon. "He kind of reminds me of Whitley when he was little."

"Whitley?" Ruby tilted her head. The name was kind of familiar but she couldn't place it.

"My younger brother." Weiss's expression twisted into something bitter. "Back when he was actually cute."

Ruby had forgotten that Weiss had more than one sibling. She distantly wondered if there was a reason why Weiss never mentioned him. Pretty much all that she knew about Whitley was that he was now the Schnee heir.

Ruby didn't like the sour look on Weiss's face, and she quickly brought up something she'd been wondering. "So what song was that? I've never heard it before."

Weiss blinked and her face softened once more, making Ruby's insides melt a bit. In a good way. "It's… my grandfather used to sing it. Edelweiss is a flower that only grows in Solitas's mountains. He used to say I reminded him of it."

"Well, I'm sure it's just as pretty as you!" Ruby grinned at her, and her smile only widened at the blush that rose in Weiss's cheeks. "It's already got your name in it!"

"Dolt." Weiss playfully flicked her forehead, but Ruby just laughed softly.

As her giggles subsided, Ruby leaned her head on Weiss's shoulder. "Do you… do you mind singing it again?"

There was a moment of silence, where Ruby thought her request was going to be denied, but then -

"_Edelweiss, Edelweiss._

_Every morning you greet me."_

Ruby sighed and shut her eyes. She hummed as she felt Weiss thread her fingers through her hair.

"_Small and white, clean and bright._

_You look happy to meet me."_

Ruby slowly relaxed, buoyed by Weiss's voice and warmth.

"_Blossom of snow, may you bloom and grow._

_Bloom and grow forever."_

_Maybe I'll get to see one of them myself when we get to Atlas._ Ruby distantly thought, the exhaustion of the past few days catching up to her.

"_Edelweiss, Edelweiss._

_Bless my homeland forever."_

Ruby fell into the deepest, most comfortable sleep that she had had in ages.

* * *

_AN: I sang this song for a musical audition and saw the traveling Broadway show so I had this on the brain and I couldn't help imagining Weiss singing it as a lullaby. Weiss and a baby is an adorable combo in the first place but add in singing. Yes, that's where it's at._

_Edelweiss are actually kind of cool and I figured that if Remnant had them, they'd be in Solitas. They tend to symbolize purity, adventure, and notority because even here they're rare and difficult to find, so I figured they kind of suit Weiss anyway. They're kinda pretty when you look at them, but I was surprised that they're also fuzzy._


End file.
